Finding Chrome
by chemiskorpion0002
Summary: When she left the future to go back to her proper time, she ended up in another place, in a different time. To find a different world and another kind of Mist - her own. AU 1896
1. Starcrossed Voyager

Disclaimer:

I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn. It is by Amano Akira.

A/N:

The story picks up from Chapter 282 of Reborn (Farewell, Future).

Sentences in _"italics inside quotation marks"_ are character thoughts.

~0~0~0~

Finding Chrome

Star-crossed Voyager

How it was called butterflies in the tummy when there can't be butterflies in the tummy, she didn't know. But cliché as it would be, that is how she was feeling. Amongst many other sort of feelings. Her fingers danced on the surface of her rings, which unlike the other guardians who wore their Vongola ring and their box weapon (now also in the form of a ring), she kept hers in her pocket. Her fingers felt bare. But she was going home.

"Time wrap, start!"

She barely had enough time to contemplate what it meant as a blinding flash of light engulfed them, so bright that she was forced to close her eyes. Her last vision was the smile on Irie Shouichi's face. Or maybe her Master. Then it was pitch black and completely silent like sound and light do not exist. In the next flick of second, it felt like short and long gusts of wind were flapping against every molecule of her body at every second, as if she's riding the rollercoaster going by the speed of the fastest Ferrari several times over.

A loud zip. A longer one. A short whiz sound. Then light flickered and died off almost as soon as it started. It had her closing her eyes again.

Just as sudden, everything seemed to settle. She felt something solid beneath her back, either a wall or floor, because she was not sure whether she was standing or lying down. There was a fleeting sense of anticipation and a vague hope of something more peaceful after everything they had went through. All those thoughts in a span of a couple of seconds cut short by an intense stab of pain in her abdomen, the sensation of her illusionary organs bursting to nothingness. It happened so sudden that her thoughts were still in the more peaceful hope when she passed out.

~0~0~0~

Several light years away, in yet another plane of existence, Mukuro Rokudo, still bound in the appalling prison of Vindice, trembled as the memories of the future blasted in his mind. At the same moment, he felt his power spurt to nothing, a sensation that jolted him with greater implication than the information of the future did.

_His_ little Chrome.

Something is happening to his _little_ Chrome.

~0~0~0~

The younger of the two men held out a sheathed katana.

The other man regarded it with marked skepticism. "I didn't know the blade came with a woman."

"I'm certain of the coordinates."

His words gave birth to a pregnant silence.

After long moments, the older spoke, "Could this woman be the spirit of the blade?" It was of curiosity but there was a slight touch of taunting in his tone.

He opted to ignore his mocking, "I never heard of anything like that even in legends." To the younger, the more pressing issue is the unerring feel of familiarity dancing in his senses at this woman dressed in quite unusual clothes. But he did not speak of it.

They had done it carefully, with meticulous calculation and analysis. They had reduced the uncertainty of it to be infinitesimally small. It seemed quite improbable, though plausible, that they had gone wrong. The interception of the blade had been planned for months and months.

While the younger was lost in such contemplation, the other simply watched. When the former spoke again, he said, "I'm certain of the information."

A chuckle. "I didn't quite take you for the sentimental type."

"Who is being sentimental?"

The older man returned his gaze to the blade. "You are only so sure of it because you lost her for the information."

The statement sent a twitch to the younger's eyes. "There is said to be a way to authenticate the blade."

The same moment he had spoken, they felt a surge of power that dissipated as soon as it came. They exchanged glances, straightening, but everything settled as if nothing happened. They waited, every single sound pronounced in the silence that ensued. Nothing happened. Both of them regarded the woman lying in the floor and the blade next to her.

~0~0~0~

Chrome woke up to a large but almost empty tatami room. The early morning chirps of birds were already loud outside and the sunlight was radiating warmly from the closed windows of the room. Aside from the fact that she was wearing a long-sleeved mandarin-collared red duangua (top) with white Chinese frogs button and white kuzi (pants), instead of the Kokuyo uniform, all else appeared normal.

Appeared.

She regarded the situation for a long minute.

"Again?" Chrome couldn't help but mutter as she gave up staring at the ceiling of the foreign room. At least when she came to the future, she ended up in Kokuyo Land.

_"How did this happen… Did the time wrap failed? Am I still in the future? How come..."_

Unable to decide whether to feel confused or angry or frustrated, her hands fisted involuntarily. But the gesture only made her realize another gripping misfortune. She held out her hand in front of her, the Vongola Ring of the Mist absent. She didn't wear it then. Oh God, why did she not.

This is should not be as disturbing to her as it should be, as she just came from another time. It was not the first time she opened her eyes to bizarre surroundings or foreign era. And it wasn't exactly bizarre or foreign. Somehow.

She got up from the futon, after minutes of silent brooding, looking around the room as she moved. The place looked so serene and peaceful that it disturbed her.

"_You must not panic Chrome."_

It was as if she was hearing them in her head again - her Master's words to her when she first arrived in the Future, in her battle against the (fake) Rain Funeral Wreath.

"Mukuro-sama." His name sounded wistful. She drew a deep breath and calmed herself, aiming to find his voice again in her head. If she was indeed stuck in the future she should be able to communicate more properly with her master now, as he is out of the Vindice Prison.

The room was enveloped in silence, magnifying the absence of any voice or presence in her head other than herself.

"_Draw out the power of the Vongola Ring."_

And yet she keeps hearing his voice. Chrome stared at her fingers again – bare of the ring. Her trident was nowhere in sight either.

The Kokuyo is not here and so is the Vongola.

Alone.

She is alone.

Just then, the shouji door of the room opened and a young woman bowed politely, "Ohayou gozaimasu oujo-san."

"_Formal speech?"_ Chrome turned to see the woman properly, returning the bow as she saw appropriate. The girl_,_ who was probably around a year or two younger than her, had her long black hair tied in a pair of braids, something Chrome remembered seeing on someone before.

"Please let me help you around. Master will see you before noon."

The familiarity of the girl made her heart pound in a peculiar rhythm.

The girl smiled again, "Please follow me when you are ready. The temple is a maze in the beginning. You might be lost in it if you are not careful."

Chrome bowed again in gratitude and nodded. If it had been the old her, she would have ran away at any obvious display of kindness. But I-pin, that child, had successfully coaxed her to warming up to others' compassion, at least with the Vongola.

As Chrome approached the door, the girl spoke, "I'm I-pin by the way. If you will not find it rude for me, may I ask your name?"

For a moment Chrome thought she heard her wrong and perhaps her memory of the child made her hear things.

"I'm sorry? Your name is?"

"I-pin."

The girl had said it so clearly that Chrome stared at her.

"You are?"

"Chrome." The sound of her name as she answered the girl's question came out distant, and she continued staring.

~0~0~0~

"I'm sorry," Chrome bowed again in apology for the fifth time since earlier. "I was quite – surprised."

I-pin soothed her with a smile. "I understand. Master had asked me to personally assist you. You came here in rather peculiar circumstances."

"_I came here?"_ The question remained unsaid as she followed I-pin to the west grounds. The I-pin standing in front of her, she realized, is the splitting image of the older I-pin she knew, in the few moments she gets switched with her younger self - but without the handkerchief she usually uses to cover her hair and the pot of the noodles for Uncle Kawahira. Instead this I-pin is wearing something similar to what she was wearing right now, except that I-pin wore a white Yao Dai (sash) while she wore none.

"It was quite unusual indeed. Students usually come here in the beginning of spring."

Chrome kept the confusion from showing in her face. They followed a path lined with cedars that must be of hundreds of years in age, towering above them in what seemed like endless lines of green.

"Master!" I-pin called out in greetings as she bowed to the man standing regally before what appears as a shrine.

The man acknowledged her and bowed in return. "Thank you I-pin."

I-pin smiled respectfully to the man before turning to Chrome, "Master Fon is a kind man. Do not be afraid." Then she turned to leave.

"_Fon? One of the Arcobalenos?_" Again she did not voice out the question.

"Follow me." Was all he said, and Chrome did.

They retired to a room in the inner portion of the shrine.

"Please take a seat." Fon motioned her as he disappeared to an adjoining room.

She sat as directed and waited. The room had no windows nor candles or any source of light but the room was not dark. There was enough light that she could see him clearly as he came back holding something wrapped in what looked like a scarlet cloth. He laid them before her and allowed her to open it.

It held her Kokuyo uniform and a katana. A sense of hope surged in her – the Kokuyo Middle High uniform! She remembered placing the Vongola ring and the box weapon in her uniform's pocket.

"I had asked you be changed to what is customary clothing in this place."

Chrome looked up at him, eyes searching for the pacifier the Arcobaleno wore.

"I am Fon." He gave her a polite smile, "You are?"

"My name?"

"Yes."

There was no sign of the pacifier from what Chrome could see. "I'm Dokuro Chrome."

Her answered had him considering her for a long while.

She could feel the intensity of his gaze even without looking, carefully studying her. It puzzled her though. If indeed this is Fon, of perhaps another time or another place, how could he not know her? The people in the future knew who she was. _"The Mist Guardian of the Tenth Vongola"_. Somehow the words sent slight strange sort of feeling in her.

Inside the room, even the sound of the wind outside and the songs of the birds were no more than shadows of a hum. Fon had not said anything since she said her name and the silence disconcerted her further. She reached for her uniform.

"Take your sword as well."

Chrome glanced at him, holding her old uniform on her chest, "I do not have any sword."

His face showed no sign of surprise or question. "Bring this sword then. You may keep your old clothes but they don't belong here."

She reached for the sword. It felt foreign in her hands – odd and heavy.

"You may retire to your room. I will have I-pin help you around. Tomorrow I will take you as a student. Wear you sword." Fon stood up and nodded at her.

She stood up as well and bowed. The man commanded respect. He returned the bowed and gestured at the door. She followed him in silence. When they emerged at the entrance of the shrine, Chrome spoke, "May I ask something Fon-dono?" In reality, she never had a problem remembering people's name though she did have a problem using them.

The man stopped in his tracks and regarded her in a sideway glance, "Go ahead."

"Where am I?"

"The Moon Mountain." Fon returned his gaze forward, "Country of Yamato."

Chrome watched him for several seconds before speaking, "Thank you very much."

Fon nodded in acknowledgement.

~0~0~0~

Chrome spent the rest of the day wondering, running questions in her mind as she moved around listening to I-pin's instructions and stories. There was so much she could not understand and the absence of anything familiar had her keeping her thoughts to her mind. Even more frightening is the presence of people whom she should be familiar with but they neither know her nor she them. Such as the girl talking next to her now.

"The training begins one hour before sunrise. Then – " I-pin giggled as she watched Chrome, who was looking at her though obviously lost in her own thoughts. "Of course! You must have known the rules as you had already spoken to Master."

Her train of thoughts was disrupted by the word – rules. The man called Fon said nothing to her about those, only that she will become his student starting tomorrow. Unsure of what to say, Chrome simply looked at I-pin politely.

The reaction, or the absence of it, puzzled I-pin but she nodded and spoke again on the daily routines, training schedules and general rules in the temple. As they approached the main temple, Chrome saw several lines of students sparring using wooden swords.

"When a student comes in, he/she does not own a sword. The sword will be earned." She glanced at the sword sheathed at Chrome's side, "But it seems you have already earned a sword. You must have brought it in with you."

Chrome watched I-pin for a moment, before speaking, "You didn't see me arrive yesterday?"

"No." I-pin gestured towards a hallway that leads to the student quarters, "Master only told me of the arrival of a new student early this morning and asked me to assist you. Master rarely admits students later after the spring and I have never assisted new students either. I understand now," she glanced at Chrome, "as you seem to already earn a sword before even coming here."

The glance spoke of much. But Chrome said nothing. How will she answer what I-pin would surely ask after if she had said anything?

Neither of them spoke again until they reached Chrome's room. "You must be tired. Dinner will be at 6:00 pm. I will come to your room to pick you up if I can. If not, I hope you remember the way to the dining hall." I-pin gave her a courtesy bow, "You may walk around if you wish. The people here are friendly though the students may not be able to approach you readily as you already have a katana. You will have to begin the conversation if need to."

She returned the bow to I-pin.

After I-pin left, Chrome sat by the door for a long while hugging her knees in silent despair. Questions only multiply instead of being answered. Alone – the word keeps repeating in her head. _Abandoned_. She never really felt like she belonged to the Vongola and all that is related to the Family but she could not deny the pulses of pain with each moment she would realize that neither I-pin nor Fon knows who she is. Only when she felt her feet beginning to numb from the absence of movement did Chrome stood up. She opened the scarlet cloth and touched her old uniform, fighting the many emotions that stirred at the feel of the fabric. Her family was the Kokuyo, at least that's how it was to her, at least for her, but even Kokuyo is nowhere right now. She held her old uniform tightly but nothing happened. She could not hear anything, not even Ken who is the loudest of the Kokuyo. For a long moment, Chrome stayed that way until the memory of where she had left her rings spurred her movements. Hope started to bubble in her as she reached for the pocket, searching for her rings.

It took her several moments before there was none that she could do to stop the horrible feeling from creeping up in her spine and settling in her core– _the rings are gone_.

~0~0~0~

It was already late afternoon when she decided to go out of her room. There were no sounds of any activity she can hear from her room. The temple complex is huge, located, it seems, in the upslope of a mountain – Moon Mountain said Fon. Everything sounded serene. But it's very serenity disturbed Chrome.

I-pin had mentioned not seeing her arrive last night and so she could not ask her how she arrived, not that she can without drawing questions from the girl. She retraced their earlier path and followed the long hallway that led to the main temple. There were no longer students on sight. Standing at the center of the main temple entrance, Chrome noted the several hallways leading away from the main temple.

"I'm glad to see you warming up to the place."

Chrome turned to the source of the voice. I-pin was smiling at her.

"Do you wish to look around?"

The Mist Guardian considered what to say. "I was wondering if I can speak to the Master."

"Ah." There was a brief change in I-pin's expression, "He should be in the North Wing, fifth door this way," she gestured to the hallway at Chrome's right, "It opens to the garden of the North Wing."

Chrome bowed in gratitude and started towards the said hallway, unaware of I-pin's eyes following her.

~0~0~0~

"Why did you not let I-pin receive her?"

"I have my reasons."

There was a long silence that sailed between them.

"Yet you have me summoned."

"Stay close to the vicinity."

"I don't receive instructions from anyone."

"Suggestion then."

"Not even suggestion."

"If I am right, something is bound to happen soon."

That sent a twitch in the eye of the young man.

"Ah." Fon acted like he did not see that. "Whichever way, any new appearance catalyzes changes."

The young man turned his back to the temple's master without a word and went.

From the other side of the door that opened to the garden of the North Wing, Chrome approached quietly. She does not know how to properly act in such circumstances, whether she is to call out or to open the door unannounced.

Fon turned his attention to the temple, sensing someone waiting behind the close door, "So you saw the need to talk to me…" He walked towards the door and opened it, already expecting to see the person waiting there.

The sudden movement startled Chrome and she recoiled, moving away from the door in a speed that surprised Fon.

But the surprise was not visible on the calm face of the temple Master, "Yes Chrome-san?"

She looked up at him, terrified despite his peaceful presence.

Fon watched her from the distance, concerned of her apparent fright.

It took her several moments to compose herself and repress the fear gnawing on her mind again. "If I may please speak to you."

"Of course." He gestured towards the garden.

Chrome nodded.

"You seem troubled." Fon began as he led her under the line of old ginkgo trees.

"_Troubled is an understatement."_ Chrome thought but said nothing. Under normal circumstances, she would never go forth and ask anyone of anything but her present circumstance is nowhere near normal. And even her master, who always had the answers to her questions, was nowhere. "I do not remember how I came here." said Chrome, each word spoken carefully.

Fon nodded in acknowledgement. "You were brought here unconscious."

She kept her eyes away from the watchful gaze of the man, looking instead on the series of structures that surrounded the garden. "And this sword is not mine."

"It was brought in with you. Therefore I assumed that it was yours. Do you wish to relinquish the katana?"

There is so much she cannot ask if she did not explain her predicament. Something she never does. "I seem – I seem to have lost a couple of belongings on the way here."

He could see her thinking but he could not make out the thoughts. "I gave you this morning all that was with you when you arrived."

Chrome nodded politely, "Thank you very much."

The woman is regarding him with utmost caution, something that Fon sensed strongly on her. "If I may ask, what is it that you lost?"

"My rings." The gravity of the situation had Chrome confessing. The rings were easier to ask about, her trident would surely lead to more questions.

"Rings?" Fon, once more, regarded Chrome with great caution, "I was not informed that you are of noble descent."

She looked up at him, confusion written all over her face.

"_She does not understand what rings are?"_ His eyes held Chrome's gaze.

Chrome could see questions stirring in Fon's eyes despite the composed look in his face. The intensity of him had her averting her eyes from him again. She considered her options and her situation. Fon and I-pin, despite being foreign as everything else in this place, are the only ones familiar to her, even if both of them do not seem to recognize or know her. When she spoke again, she looked straight to Fon's unfaltering gaze, "I believe I am not from this world."

It surprised her that he did not seem surprise by her statement. Instead it seemed his eyes cleared up. "Where are you from then?"

How does she answer that? Chrome was silent for several breaths. "I came from Japan."

It did not seem to answer his question but he nodded. "And this sword, it did not come from your world?" Fon gestured at the katana sheathed in her side.

She glanced at the sword. Swords were not unfamiliar to her. She had seen people use them. The Vongola Rain Guardian was a swordsman and so is the Rain Guardian of the Varia. Both their swords did not resemble the one in her side now. Perhaps. The memories of them made her heart throb, shattering her thoughts on their swords, unexpectedly painful in her chest and reminded her again of the missing Vongola Ring. "No. I do not believe so."

Fon studied her in silence. He could see turmoil of emotions beneath the solemn face. "Where did you last remember having the rings?"

Her lips thinned in the question. Memories flooded her – of everyone – that Chrome faltered visibly. She was suppose to be home in the past now, with them. And yet, she's here, in a place she does not know, where no one seems to know her either.

Fon saw the change in her expression but he remained silent and waited.

"Before I left the future. I was supposed to go back to the past." Chrome's voice cracked at her last statement.

"_Time travel."_ Fon considered the bit of information first before speaking again, "You wore them?"

"No. I placed them on the pocket of my uniform."

Chrome saw Fon's face darken for a second but it was gone as soon as it painted the usually composed face of the man. A loud tolling of bells in a distance cut short their exchange. "It's about time for dinner. I suppose I-pin had shown you the way to the dining hall."

Chrome nodded.

"Ask I-pin to meet speak to me after dinner. The inner room at the West Shrine. Speak to her directly."

She understood.

~0~0~0~

It took her hours chasing sleep but not even fatigue and confusion was able to lull her to sleep. In her mind, she has been conjuring images of the Kokuyo land, of her master, of Ken and Chikusa, images of her home; of the I-pin that knew her, of Lambo fighting with I-pin, of Kyoko and Haru as they pry the two from each other; of her Boss, and her fellow guardians. In her pain, they all appeared real - flesh and substance - complete with their voices and usual bickering.

A loud crash somewhere jolted Chrome out of her misery. There were stomping of feet and sound of rushing people. The images of her people started to fade in her mind. The door to her room was wretched open.

I-pin had rushed inside her room. "The temple is being attacked! Quick!"

Chrome stood up. The sound of fighting and clashing swords began getting louder and closer. It only took her a second and she was running towards the door.

I-pin had already started running ahead of her when she did. "We have to find Master!" she was shouting loud enough for Chrome to hear her above the noise of fighting.

Most of the students seem to be gone from their quarters, either fighting to defend the temple or had been evacuated. They rounded up a corner that Chrome did not remember seeing earlier today. Before they could find the nearest door, a couple of masked sword-wielding men jumped before them. I-pin moved in reflex, dodging the incoming sword slash and retaliating with a kick in the man's abdomen as she side-stepped. She was surprised that Chrome did not draw her sword at the man rushing towards her. Instead, she took the sheathed sword and swung it to the man before her as she jumped up and landed behind him, using the sword, still in its sheath, as support when she stood up again, spinning automatically towards her opponent. Her battle reflexes were still fresh from her training with Bianchi and it gave her relief as well as hurt. Chrome regarded the sheathed sword for a moment – she had never drawn a sword before - her weapon was a trident. Briefly, she caught I-pin send a hand signal to her. Chrome shifted, holding the sheathed sword on the side. Her earlier blow had sent her opponent several steps backwards but he was quick to recover. He spun in quick circle, rushing towards her right away. A quick slash but she rolled on the floor, opposite the direction of katana, smashing the sheathed sword to the nearest leg of her opponent. I-pin paused a moment until Chrome was on her side. Both their opponents dashed forward. Chrome saw I-pin perform hand movements. Familiar ones. Not a second later, both men seemed to have uncoordinated movements.

"_Gyoza-Kempo,"_ Chrome thought, _"So this I-pin knows how to use it as well"_.

I-pin rushed forward. Chrome followed suit. Both of them sent their opponents flying.

"To the next door!" I-pin was already running again.

The door opened to a large garden, much like the one in the North Wing. I-pin was the first to reach the grounds. Fon would have been easy to spot – his usual red garb would stand out just about anywhere and so does his distinct peaceful aura. The moon shone in vivid silver on the whole of the area. There was no Fon in the grounds. There was no one. Both Chrome and I-pin tensed at that. At least ten men surrounded them before either of them could move but I-pin was just as quick, knocking half with a single blow of Gyoza-Kempo. The brief moment of surprise paralyzed Chrome. She felt helpless – the sword is an unknown weapon to her. Neither her trident nor the Vongola Ring is with her right now. Her momentary stillness had her separated from I-pin, who was now battling two swordsmen – barehanded – with competence that surprised Chrome. To fight a swordsman with no weapon at all –

"Chrome! What are you doing?!" I-pin called out in disbelief, "Draw your sword!"

She barely was able to dodge an incoming sword slash when I-pin called her attention. Her right hand flew to the hilt of the sword. She never used a sword before but she understood she could not possible manage to fight swordsmen with no weapon as I-pin does. She jumped away as another man rushed towards her but another was already waiting for her to descend from her jump. She gripped the hilt tightly. A sharp glint of silver flickered as the fiery blade met the shimmering light of the moon. Chrome felt a surge of intense energy crash through her as she swung the sword downwards the waiting swordsman. Her movements were solely on instinct, on her memories of the Vongola Rain Guardian's movements. There was no grace in her act but she was able to drive her opponent to his knees. She caught herself as she landed, shifting easily out of reach of the other men. Chrome gripped the katana tighter. The force of the earlier attack wasn't all her's and she knew that enough. A strong urge to return the katana to its sheath kept pulsing in her but her opponents were already clambering towards her. She swung the katana in front of her, aiming to negate the incoming slashes. I-pin threw a quick glance at Chrome, who by then shifted forward after a strong clang of sword against sword. I-pin saw her move, swinging her katana again, this time too high to be aiming for a body slash.

"_I managed to subdue my opponents,"_ I-pin thought, _"but Chrome had managed to kill all three of hers"._

Chrome did not look up at her as I-pin ran to her. She hesitated calling out to Chrome. Violence and bloodlust were oozing from Chrome that I-pin felt it was another person. Chrome had been calm and delicate-looking that she was having a hard time reconciling the image with the woman wielding a sword in front of her now.

Her grip of the katana was so tight now that her knuckles were turning white. She felt a hand on her shoulder and she had to fight with all her might to not raise the katana on the person. Because it was I-pin, even if it is not the I-pin she knew. She was aware of that but she had to fight hard against another will in her that wanted to swing the sword.

"Move away I-pin."

I-pin sensed the struggle in her voice and wondered why it was present there. Chrome was crouched on the floor, the sword propped in front of her, blood dripping from its blade. When I-pin was far beyond the reach of the sword if she would swing it, Chrome raised it again and forced it to its sheath. I-pin saw the relief wash on her face as she stumbled to stand straight again. The change in the expression in her eyes puzzled her.

A loud bang had them rolling away from each other. I-pin easily regained her footing though the cloud of smoke prevented her from moving right away. Chrome could still feel the bloodlust throbbing in her veins rendering her unstable. Her senses were yet to settle. She couldn't see I-pin through the thick smoke but she could make out bodies moving towards her.

"_Mukuro-sama."_ She called out the name in her head. Her master would always – always – come to her rescue. _Always_. The words echoed in her head, through the emptiness of what her master used to occupy. It was not seconds later but faster that she sensed the attacks coming. Desolated and refusing to wield a weapon not her's, Chrome shut her eyes tightly as she braced herself for the impact.

A loud smack of steel against skin echoed. I-pin screamed her name.

A figure hovered above her – back upon her.

"Mukuro-sama?" She barely heard her own whisper, her heart beating in wild happiness. Her master – always...

"What is your sword doing in its sheath, herbivore?"

"_Herbivore?"_Both the word and the tone sounded frighteningly familiar.

"Hibari-senpai!"

Chrome could hear relief in I-pin's voice as she approached them.

"_Hibari?"_ The so-called strongest guardian of the 10th generation of Vongola.

"Leave the temple." Chrome did not know whether he was talking to her or to I-pin. He spoke again, addressing I-pin. "Head to the Vongola."

"_Vongola!"_The mere sound of the name brought nostalgic relief on Chrome.

"But - "

"That order was from him." A brief pause as he started moving, the smoke now cleared.

I-pin hesitated for a moment then gestured for her to move out but Chrome remained still for several moments as she took in his appearance. He wore a coat over his yukata, just like how he wore a gakuran top over his uniform in her world. He wields the same weapon, his eyes bore the same feral glint and his face reflected the same thirst for violence.

"Chrome." I-pin's voice was laced with urgency.

She heard movements that weren't from either the three of them and so she ran to I-pin without another glance to the man but in her head his title kept repeating itself.

It wasn't her Mukuro-sama. This time, her savoir was…

"_The Cloud Guardian…"_

~0~0~0~

A/N:

Series title based from the William Gibson's Burning Chrome.

Chapter inspired by Sir Elton John's Can You Feel the Love Tonight.


	2. The Shape of Memories

Disclaimer:

I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn. It is by Amano Akira.

~0~0~0~

The Shapes of Memories

The last time she remembered running with such urgency was in the battle with the real Funeral Wreaths when she was to lead the Vongola Mist Box Weapon to her master. The memory felt distant and her heart ached a bit in yearning yet it feels like it's what she's running away from.

Whether I-pin was planning to run all the way to wherever the Vongola is, she had no idea, she simply followed, simply kept running. Her feet barely sustained her while her ears strained for sounds other than the sounds of cicadas and the occasional snapping of dried branches under their stomping feet. But she kept going, following I-pin's lead. It was the sound of chirping, small sound of chirping, that stopped her in her tracks.

Later Chrome would marvel at I-pin's alertness, for not two seconds after she stopped, I-pin turned and whispered, "We have to get to the Vongola." Her voice, despite everything sounded calm, injected with enough sense of rush.

But Chrome said nothing, moved none. Her eyes fixed on something over several meters from the bend. I-pin did not know whether she stopped to think or whether she was waiting for something. Before she could speak again, Chrome did call out, "I think we should head this way."

I-pin frowned at her statement, more on confusion than anything, but did ran back to her. She saw a small fluffy bird hovering over the path Chrome was looking at. Momentarily forgetting her hurry, I-pin took a long moment to look at Chrome properly.

"We should head out." Despite the many emotions in her of the moment, fear included, Chrome's voice came out firm and steady. Her spirit renewed by the gesture of the small bird. Of everyone she had met thus far, only this small creature seemed to regard her as someone it knew. In her world, she remembered a similar bird that was called Hibird.

Chrome's tone more than her statement only made I-pin look at her more intently though she did ran forward, following the lead of the small bird that began to fly away. Chrome followed. The running was short before they ended up in a small forest clearing.

The small bird was hovering over a large man with an equally large hairstyle who tensed up at the sight of them. "I-pin-san!"

"Kusakabe-kun!"

He nodded at them and glanced at Hibird warmly, nodding at it as well. The bird hovered over the man in circles then flew to the girls, in some sort of pretty dance, and flew away. Chrome's eyes followed Hibird's flight, understanding with certainty - a first since she came to this world – where, or to whom, the small creature was heading.

As soon as the bird was out of sight, the man called Kusakabe started to move. He led them to a carriage around the bend of a makeshift road among the thick forest. Chrome juggled her memories for the name. It sounded familiar despite being far-off. The man helped both of them to the carriage before disappearing to the side. She heard a couple of faint taps that didn't sound like the hooves of the horses drawing the carriage before they started moving.

I-pin was silent for the half an hour or so of their journey. And so was Chrome. But there was so much going on in her head. When she shifted in her seat, she saw I-pin watching her. Chrome gave her a polite and shy smile which I-pin returned with more certainty.

"We are almost there. The Vongola is a safe place."

Chrome offered a smile of agreement but kept her thoughts to herself, choosing to ask something else instead, "What happened?"

I-pin's face fell. "I don't know either. But Master had anticipated it. He had warned me about the possibility of an attack when I spoke to him after dinner. You were the one who told me to do so. I assumed he told you the same thing."

Chrome shook her head.

I-pin looked away for a long moment. "But he told me to come to you if anything happens."

"_The Arcobaleno."_ Chrome thought and she was silent for several minutes.

Through the silence of her companion, I-pin smiled. "Master once told me how peculiar trust is. The only way to know the answer is to ask the question – that is, to know if someone deserves your trust, you will have to trust them."

Chrome looked puzzled.

I-pin smiled again as she locked her eyes with Chrome's gaze. The movements of the carriage began to slow down. When it pulled into a complete stop, I-pin motioned for them to get off, "Get inside the house as quickly as you can," she whispered before disappearing outside.

Chrome regarded I-pin carefully, even after she promptly got off the carriage. The younger female's words remained heavy in the air. Chrome threw a quick glance outside, making out the silhouette of a huge manor complex through the curtain on the carriage's window.

_Vongola_.

She had come to the Vongola.

Only then did Chrome disembark the carriage as well.

"This way." She heard as soon as she entered the place, through what she believes is one of the many entrances that is not the main entrance. She followed the man who led her through a hallway then to another and another. Chrome was ready to conclude that there will be no end to these hallways. She couldn't study the place properly given the pace they were moving. Finally the man leading her stopped by a wall and tapped it. The wall, or rather the door disguised as a wall, opened.

It was only then that the man faced her.

"Sorry for that." He was smiling brightly at her, extending his hand to her, "I'm Yamamoto."

"_Yamamoto Takeshi."_ Chrome murmured in her head as she stared at the splitting image of the Vongola Rain Guardian of her world. Only this Yamamoto appears a year or so older than the Yamamoto of her world. He was wearing a light blue yukata, which she thought suited him very nicely, with prints of a graceful swallow, a sword sheathed in his side. She took in his appearance before she shook his extended hand, "Chrome."

"A pleasure to meet a fellow swordsman."

"Bring her in first before you babble non-sense, idiot!"

Chrome recognized the voice right away. It sounded so much like the Storm Guardian of her world when he is angry, which is practically most of the time.

Yamamoto laughed and gestured for Chrome to come in. She was greeted by the sight of an irritated silver-haired man who was wearing a fierce crimson yukata that matched the rage in his eyes.

"That's Gokudera-kun." Yamamoto said as he appeared behind her, closing the door as well.

"I can introduce myself without your help."

The reply was a carefree laugh.

"_They are,"_ Chrome mused, _"the same as the Gokudera and Yamamoto of my world."_

"Where is Sawada-dono?"

She was so sure it was Yamamoto who spoke, as sure as she was that Sawada was her Boss' last name. It made her turn to Yamamoto with confused eyes. Yamamoto called the Boss by his name.

"_What happened?" _Chrome wondered.

Gokudera caught the depth of confusion in the female's eyes. It made him wary. Still his voice managed to sound annoyed as he addressed Yamamoto because he was annoyed, "He went to speak to Kusakabe-kun. He should be back in a few minutes. You should know that if you were listening earlier." He turned his eyes to Chrome then, his expression carefully schooled, "Please take a seat. I-pin-san and Sawada-dono will join us in a moment." He extended his hand to her, "I am Gokudera."

"First son of the - "

It was Yamamoto who spoke as Chrome shook Gokudera's hand, but he was harshly cut off, "Did I ask you to speak?" Gokudera glared at him and, now, he seemed genuinely irritated.

But seemingly unaffected, Yamamoto said, "You ought to be proud of your lineage."

"That would be my problem. Not yours."

Chrome stood between them, reeling at the sight of a very familiar scene.

It was Gokudera who turned to Chrome first, "I sincerely apologize for the display."

She was too used to it to be bothered that she gave him a small smile. If anything, it made her feel comfortable. It bothered Gokudera though. Normally people would scorn at them for behaving rudely but she acted as if it was normal. Yamamoto watched her curiously as well. Though their usual verbal arguments aren't staged, it had become an unspoken source of analysis of the people they meet. Specifically of the people that enters the Vongola's place.

When they were seated, both males sat opposite her, Chrome noticed both of them wearing rings. She couldn't say from this distance if it was the exact rings that belonged to the Vongola of her world. But she could see the outline of them similar to the Vongola rings after the Boss' battle against Byakuran.

Chrome's subtle study of them did not escape Gokudera and further troubled him. His eyes carefully gauged the female, "If I may, you are?"

His voice broke her reverie and her eyes darted from their rings to him. "Chrome. Dokuro Chrome," she answered absent-mindedly.

Both of them narrowed their eyes at her answer. Yamamoto's expression changed first, smiling cheerfully at her again, ready to say something but before he could speak the door to the left, another door that is, opened. Both Yamamoto and Gokudera were quick to bow in respect. It was her Boss, or rather him in this world. I-pin was behind him. He looked exactly the same except for the touch of confidence in his kind face. Her Boss rarely looked like that, except perhaps in battles. She almost never saw her Boss in battle.

The man who looked like the 10th Vongola of her world turned to her, "I'm Sawada. A pleasure to welcome you in my place. You are?"

All present were surprised by Chrome's expression then.

Her Boss was asking for her name.

The thought stunned Chrome.

_Her_ Boss – the first among the Vongola to accept and acknowledge her as the Mist Guardian; her Boss – the only other person aside from her Master that she trust and dedicate her life to – does not know her.

Her eyes glazed over in obvious pain as she looked up to him.

~0~0~0~

The female remained bow before the man as she spoke, "She seems to have fled the temple during the attack. The men failed to find her during her escape. All routes to leave Moon Mountain were covered. There were at least fifteen carriages moving at the same time. We didn't have enough people to follow all fifteen then, most are still in the temple. I apologize. It was unanticipated."

The man remained quiet though displeasure was painting his face fast.

"All exits from the temple were blocked. We do not -"

"Should it not be obvious to you that you failed to find all the exits of the temple?"

The female was rendered silent by her evident lapse of judgment.

"You've been roaming the place for five years and the temple still keeps its secrets. As expected of an Arcobaleno." The man propped his arm on his crossed legs.

"By the looks of it, it is highly probable that the Vongola perhaps –"

"Perhaps~~~" the man sang the word as he toyed with two small pieces of jewelries in his hand. The Vongola. Indeed, by the looks of it, because the Vongola likes messing up with everyone's affair.

The female before him who was dressed differently from the rest of the people in the place remained bowed. She wore long-sleeved mandarin-collared red top and white pants.

"Draw her out." The man held out his palm before her, revealing two misshaped rings. "I want to see these rings."

~0~0~0~

Of all the Arcobaleno, Reborn had always been the most peculiar one. And wore a peculiar hat, unlike any other in Yamato. In one of their lighter moments, Yuni, the heir to the Arcobaleno, bemoaned her failure to find another similar hat for her uncle worried as she was that the hat will soon fade in color given how often Reborn used it. Tsuna always believed that Reborn's fondness of the girl was all that saved her from being killed for her statement. Lambo did not share the same fate, as they had almost lost him when he made a comment on the Reborn's fedora hat. The latter shot Lambo in the head. It was indeed a miracle that Lambo was still alive today, though Tsuna had to make sure he will not be around whenever Reborn might drop by. Miracles rarely come in twos.

"They had enough number of movements to confound them, says Kusakabe-kun. The probability of them knowing which carried Chrome was small, and Kusakabe-kun considers it highly implausible for them to track down all. They had also taken precautionary measures to ensure that," said Tsuna as he regarded his Master with a carefully disguised curious stare. At least Reborn was wearing yukata this time, though it looked awfully ridiculous with the hat.

Fon appeared pleased with Tsuna's information, though in silence he was also regarding Reborn with quiet amusement. "They haven't attacked the Vongola yet, so perhaps we can conclude that Kusakabe-kun had been successful."

"Only a fool will attack the Vongola for nothing." Reborn offhandedly commented but offered no more statement than that. Instead he started playing with his hat, throwing a knowing glare at both Tsuna and Fon, who he was aware, were watching his hat again. It seems to attract attention everywhere, something Reborn had been wondering about for so long. The stupidity of commonplace intelligence is really lost to him. What is so curious about a hat?

Tsuna addressed Fon again, "I met her last night. I do not see any reason why they would want her so badly."

Fon and Reborn shared an amused chuckle. He was still down-right stupid sometimes, if not often.

It was Reborn who spoke, "Tell me what you know of her."

Tsuna flinched at the unsaid reprimand. He hasn't lost the tendency to be intimidated by his old Master, yet. From the looks of his senpai, Dino, it seemed that it is an incurable infection once acquired. After all, years of terror in your younger years would be virtually impossible to erase.

Reborn looked like he was going to say something but he didn't, instead, he threw Fon a look.

Fon returned whatever the gaze said, and when he spoke his face was grave too, "She told me she had lost her rings."

A smirk came and went on Reborn's lips. He threw his hat in the air and caught it in the middle of its fall.

"Rings." Tsuna repeated the word with no sense at all.

Fon nodded.

Tsuna knew the weight of that statement but failed to grasp its meaning.

Fon continued, "I have not seen the rings so there is not much I can speculate on that. I confirmed however that someone among my ranks, or my students, is in Moon Mountain for other reason that is not related to education."

Reborn sneered, "They had no idea that you had asked their assistance to receive a new student because you were suspecting them."

Fon simply locked his gaze with his fellow Arcobaleno.

Tsuna was quiet. His face a mixture of defiance and confusion.

When Reborn spoke again, he had resumed twirling his hat in his fingers, "Have you heard anything else from him?"

Tsuna assumed his master was still talking to his fellow Arcobaleno so he kept silent.

Fon's eyes were dancing with the twirling hat, though barely noticeable, when he spoke, "Nothing more than what he had said before."

Tsuna watched them in mute amusement and remained silent. He had lost to which 'him' the two were talking about, if they were talking about any 'him' at all.

"Should he say no to my proposed arrangement, would Chrome be welcomed to stay in the Vongola?"

Only because he heard the name Vongola did Tsuna realized Fon was addressing him. He gave the older man a polite smile. "I don't see any reason why she could not stay here. Though I'm curious as to who 'he' is?"

"He means he is lost." Reborn explained flatly, "He means he'd like to ask which 'he' you're talking about because his brain failed to catch up with us."

Tsuna did not bother hiding the flinch.

Fon smiled amusedly at the young Vongola, "It will be unwise to bring Chrome back to Moon Mountain but it is essential to keep her close."

"_Which did not answer my question."_ Tsuna noted but spoke to the Arcobaleno respectfully, "The doors of the Vongola will always be open for her."

Reborn seemed to have found something worth pondering from the exchange.

Fon regarded Reborn with a small smile. "Only vague and unsure if you factor in her arrival. It was the original plan for the sword anyway."

A brief grin painted the face of Reborn as he finally set the hat in his head, "Curious."

"Indeed." Fon commented though he was also referring to Reborn's hat. He turned to Tsuna quick enough though, "I will need to speak to him and if he does not agree, it is perhaps best that she stays with the Vongola."

Tsuna nodded though he once again wondered which 'he' Fon was talking about.

Reborn was silent for a long minute. When he spoke, he addressed Fon, "How certain are you?"

Fon regarded him with equal seriousness, "Very. She isn't whatever you are thinking. You can trust me on that."

A long silence settled between them. Tsuna can feel them speaking still despite the silence. It was Fon who spoke first, "I will be heading out then Tsunayoshi. Please relay my message to I-pin."

Tsuna nodded respectfully and bowed before the Arcobaleno.

"I will be staying for a while I guess."

Both Tsuna and Fon turned to the hat more than Reborn.

~0~0~0~

"You probably know the answer to your proposal before you even came here." Hibari Kyouya did not have as much civility in him to offer his visitors a cup of tea or so. He stood well away from where Fon and I-pin were seating.

Fon sighed visibly. Hibari was right on at that - if he'd offer only the information he had offered that is. "Then she will have to stay with the Vongola. Both Sawada-kun and Reborn-san are eager to keep her under their wing."

Hibari narrowed his eyes on him, "It is futile to tempt me with others' curiosity."

"I am definitely not tempting you. I am merely speaking of what they both communicated to me this morning."

"The answer is still no. You can leave now."

Fon had been watching his student discreetly keep her eyes on the small bird perched on Hibari's head though neither Hibari nor the bird seemed to have noticed that, or cared. He stood up and motion for I-pin, who had been silent throughout the conversation, to follow suit. She did so dutifully though before they could reach the door, she spoke, "Master. If I can please speak to Hibari-senpai for a moment."

Fon considered her then nodded. "I will have to excuse myself though. I would like to look around his gardens. He always had such talented hands with it."

I-pin bowed before her master before turning back to Hibari's living room.

Fon made a casual glance towards them before leaving the place in his effortless regal manner. Hibird went fluttering by as I-pin approached Hibari, and flew out to find Fon outside.

Hibari remained standing in his corner, leaning against one of the hand-painted walls of his large living room. Arms crossed, he regarded I-pin with no more than a glare, albeit softer.

"Last night, it was to her that Hibird called out to, when we were fleeing Moon Mountain."

There was no visible reaction from Hibari at her statement, except that he looked straight at her.

"Hibird never warmed up to strangers before right?"

Again Hibari offered no reaction.

"That is all." She said and she bowed before him as well before exiting the house.

~0~0~0~

Yamamoto was watching Gokudera again as they sat with Tsuna for the mid-morning tea. Tsuna had told them of his earlier conversation with two of the Arcobaleno.

All the eight members of the Arcobaleno are acknowledged for their influence and renowned skills – individually. The Arcobaleno is regarded as the singularly most powerful Family in the Country of Yamato, an equal to the Emperor's, though it does not hold any formal political power. The loose structure of the Family allowed its members to have different affiliations and most of them found close ties with the Vongola, a Family considered as most peculiar in all of Yamato. Most Families are actual families – ruled by familial lineage, a way to preserve familial interests. The remaining others serve similar purpose – for preservation of political power. Core members of Families are limited by blood-ties or similar political associations. The Arcobaleno belonged to the second kind, with all its eight members being descendants of the original members of the court of Yamato's Imperial Palace.

The lone different is the Vongola.

The Family was formed for justice that acknowledged no power or family, that the name Vongola soon became synonymous with the word 'equal'. The Vongola is the only Family with no restriction to affiliations, only the leader remains consistently in the lineage of Primo – Vongola Giotto, the founder of the Family. Throughout the years, a wide variety of members had graced the ranks of the Vongola – from the crown prince to court members, to doctors and to samurai, to captain of ships and merchants, to ladies of the Palace to commoners. It is said that the Vongola can be considered as the keystone of Yamato, the single Family that stands in the center of this world – the balance to the Imperial Palace and the nobilities, the market, the political powers and the people. To destroy the Vongola, said many, is to destroy the order of the Country of Yamato. But the diversity of Vongola is their strength.

It was about an hour or so awhile ago that Fon had sent a messenger to relay his talk to Hibari, to which Gokudera readily grumbled to be futile the moment it was thought of. That was all he said though. And the rest of his thoughts hang heavy in the air, dragging silence.

It was Yamamoto who spoke first, in his nonchalant cheerful tone, "A lovely weather we have today, isn't it?"

Tsuna smiled through his own cup of tea, "Indeed. A clear sky is always welcomed."

"Makes you wonder where everybody is with such a beautiful sun."

"I-pin-chan had not returned since Fon-dono's request for her assistance this morning."

"She'd probably go back to the temple. Surely she will be needed there."

Tsuna nodded.

There was a pause but it remained a pause, so Yamamoto spoke, glancing to Gokudera briefly before addressing Tsuna, "Is Chrome staying here then?"

"Dokuro." Gokudera grumbled. He raised his head to glare at Yamamoto properly, "Have you gone to close relations with her overnight that you call her by her first name now"

"That is what she introduced herself as."

Gokudera looked away in annoyance.

Tsuna regarded both men – his closest friends and subordinates.

Both turned to him promptly without a word from him.

"Hayato. Takeshi," Tsuna carefully placed his cup on the table, "Tell me what you think of this."

Gokudera would have scorned if it wasn't Tsuna who asked but it was Tsuna so he answered respectfully, though his answer was short, "She is so much more than what you see."

Tsuna nodded at him. Gokudera had always been the most analytical of them. He understood his reservations.

Yamamoto's usually big smile was absent as he took on a more serious stance. "I agree she is so much more than she'd let on but I could see she is more lost and confused than anything else. Perhaps she is only baffling to us because she is puzzling to herself as well."

"You're always too trusting." Gokudera grated out angrily. One of the many things that annoyed him about Yamamoto is how much he relies more on what he feels than what he should think. He attributed it to the limited capacity of the other's brain, which probably reduced his ability to rely to his brain more than anything.

Yamamoto ignored the comment, "What do you say Tsuna?"

Gokudera held up his frown and placed his cup quietly on the table.

"I feel as if she is part of us."

"Family_."_ Both Gokudera and Yamamoto whispered simultaneously.

Tsuna smiled at that.

Gokudera would have hit Yamamoto for talking in sync with him if he didn't hear a familiar chirping sound that wasn't Kojirou.

It was Yamamoto who motioned to receive Hibird, who happily perched on Yamamoto's hand.

"A message from Hibari." He said to which Gokudera and Tsuna exchanged glances at. "Bring her to the Feather Black Mountain."

~0~0~0~

She had been wallowing in despair in her room the entire day, refusing to go out in case another one of them asks for her name. If someone does it again it would destroy her. She had met Ryohei earlier at breakfast and he had told her about his sister, in case she needs company as I-pin was summoned by her master. She politely declined. The devastation of last night was still fresh in her mind. They had received her but they do not know her while she remembers all of them, knows them from the memories of them in her world. It made her heart throb in pain with almost every heart beat. The depth of hurt it rendered her was unexpected.

Technically she had met all of the guardians, except her master. She caught a glimpse of Lambo as they whisked him out of the manor for some reason. The absence of any sign of her master made her wonder if this Vongola resembled the structure of the Vongola of her world at all – if there are guardians to the Boss as well. She had come to the Vongola through her master, thus if her master isn't part of the Vongola of this world then it is logical that they do not know her. Somehow the thought appeased her. It saved her from the hurt of them not recognizing her and it gave her hope that if she could find her master then things will be better. As it always does. The greater question however is how she will find him.

A knock on the door disrupted her thoughts however. She promptly slid the large shouji door open.

It was her Boss, or rather him in this world.

"Sasagawa-kun spoke to me earlier this morning," started Tsuna, as he and Chrome took a seat by the window, "He said he offered you his sister's company but you declined."

She nodded but said nothing, _"If Kyoko would ask for my name too..."_

"And you refused to come out of your room the rest of the day as well. You should have joined us over tea earlier. The sun was beautiful."

He was as kind as she remembered, only that the ghost of her hurt last night was still in the shadows of her eyes. "It is most cordial of you Sawada-dono."

"I would like to think I have not done you any displeasure."

To speak to _him_ with so much reservation, Chrome felt like she was betraying her boss.

Chrome's silence reminded him of the pain in her eyes when he asked for her name. He still haven't made sense of it but wisely refrained from asking. "Is there anything I can help you with then?"

She took in the beautiful softness of Tsuna's eyes and it pained her further, "How can I speak to Fon-dono?"

He regarded her with a thoughtful smile, "Fon-dono had advised against coming to Moon Mountain in the mean time. Perhaps we can send for him to meet you in the Feather Black Mountain."

She answered him with a blank expression.

He smiled at her again. He had observed that she seemed to be unknowing of many things so commonplace in Yamato. "It is next to Moon Mountain. I have an acquaintance where you can stay while there."

~0~0~0~

When Tsuna had spoken of 'an acquaintance', never did Chrome think that it was the Cloud Guardian, or rather the Hibari Kyouya of this world. Of her fellow guardians, she had the least amount of contact with the Cloud Guardian that it would be impossible for her to see any parallel between this Hibari and the Hibari of her world, save for the resident lust for violence.

He had welcomed her though, or at least he did not order her to leave, and that is considered as welcomed. Chrome quickly realized that she would like to stay in the place for awhile. It was a handsome house, certainly too large for one person, with huge gardens and a single temple of its own. It was quiet and peaceful, ironically, considering the person living there. And to her surprise, the best part of it is was the Cloud Guardian, or more appropriately the Hibari of this world. She hadn't heard a word from him since she arrived. He did not ask questions. He didn't look like he cared at all. There were no puzzled looks and studying gazes. He apparently has the ability to ignore people's presence and act as if they did not exist at all. The treatment had been typical for Chrome and it pacified her. Long ago, before Kokuyo and Vongola, she had been treated like such. It is something accurately familiar to her.

The dusk had rendered the sky a rich symphony of colors against the dominant bluish black blanket of the approaching evening. Chrome stood by the open window of the living room. She had not seen Hibari for hours. The late afternoon wind was cool and hard. Hibird came chirping along with a long gusty blow of the wind. Chrome extended her hand outward, raising her forefinger for the tiny creature to perch upon. There was no hesitation on Hibird as he rested on the offered nimble finger.

Hibari, who was passing by the living room at that moment, saw this. I-pin's words the day after the attack in Moon Mountain rang in his ears again. Hibird never perched on anyone outside the circle of the Vongola. Hibari moved close enough, as close as close is by his definition, to snatch Chrome by the shoulder and slam her on the wall.

"Who are you?" Hibari was looming above her with overwhelming presence; both arms planted on the wall on either side of her face, preventing her from any way of escape. The speed of the events had Chrome wide-eyed in shock. Hibari rarely saw anyone this close and his eyes were automatically drawn to her single visible eye. A whirlwind of emotions mirrored by her violet eye swarmed him. He felt like drowning in them for a moment. The sensation threatened him that he whipped his tonfa from the sleeves of his kinagashi and pressed it against her throat before she could exhale a breath.

His eyes were unyielding, hard and clear, a striking shade of obsidian. It frightened her. She was choking by the mere force he was pressing his weapon against her throat.

"Who are you?" he repeated, his voice low as he narrowed his eyes on her.

Hibird was hovering above them the entire time.

He felt her hands on his wrist, her delicate fingers against his pulse, "I'm Dokuro Chrome," she said though she had said that before. She gripped his wrist tighter and tried to push his hand away to relieve her throat from his tonfa but it made him push harder.

"I will – " she choked as her eye held his, "I will tell - you - all."

Only then did he release her. "Yes you will."

Hibird hovered above them as the two stood face to face, the dusk in the background.

Sharp obsidian eyes remained locked with the hazy chrome one, for a very long time.

Hibird got tired of waiting and chirped away.

~0~0~0~

A/N:

I apparently got Kusakabe's name wrong at first. Thank you BookOtaku for the prompt correction!

So I say comments are always lovely!


	3. Dance of Macabre

Disclaimer:

I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn. It is by Amano Akira.

~0~0~0~

**Dance of Macabre**

The yukata did not render her different but there was _a_ difference. He wondered what Kyouya had done this time.

He was quite in the impression that Chrome wanted to see him for a substantial motive. There could have been a motive, only that by now that was being replaced by the resolve to keep mum. They had reached the eastern end of the garden without a word from her at all. It was his idea to keep the woman in Kyouya's place but now he's wondering if it was a good idea as he first thought it to be. If there was something he saw in the woman that to him qualified her to be his student, it was the strength of her mind. Had he severely underestimated Kyouya's capabilities to intimidate, and overestimated Chrome's mind? Somehow he felt he had to do something about it in some way.

The sun still hung low in the sky, but the towering lines of cedars hid most of the view of the sunrise. The Arcobaleno stood by the cedars for a moment, glancing at the young woman beside him before he motioned for her to follow him beyond the trees.

"Such a beautiful sight," Fon said, voice both gentle and firm, blending with the cheerful chirping of birds on their first flight for the day.

Finally looking up at Fon, Chrome followed his gaze and marveled at the clear view of the sun rising behind the slopes of the nearby mountain range beyond. The sunrise was a powerful and steady stream of light, so unlike the dramatic flair sunset, that for Chrome made it an appropriate symbol of hope. And for a moment she held on to its promise. Her eyes drifted from the hopeful picture of sunrise to the grander view of the landscape, the morning fog still thick in the air. The shapes of everything beyond the mist were barely visible. She reeled on the chance to feel such peace and beauty when the days prior seemed to be pervaded with confusion and uncertainty.

"Sometimes we are so focus on what is on our feet that we forget to see what is ahead of us."

His statement made her look at what was on her feet and she stumbled back at the sight. They were standing on the edge of a cliff, with a view of a death trail downwards made more precarious by the morning haze. It overwhelmed her for a moment but when she looked at Fon, he was still standing where he was, looking up at the sunrise, his face still so serene. She wondered if he was not aware of what is beneath his feet.

It made her feel compelled to tell him. "Fon-dono."

"The circumstances are not for us to decide but what we do about it is our choice. Life, after all, is a matter of perspective." was what he said instead.

Chrome stared at him for several heartbeats. Then, though still trembling in fear, she looked up at the sunrise again. Her action made Fon smile to himself.

Somehow it was more beautiful and more intense now. It felt different and there was some smoldering warmth in her guts at the sight. There was more than hope in the sunrise now, now that she is aware of where she is, and Chrome recognized that there was strength in it.

They stood there in silence for until the sun had risen above the mountains and Chrome had to raise a hand to avoid the strong glare of the early sun. At that, Fon said, "The mind is a powerful weapon."

Chrome turned to him as he spoke and he smiled fondly at her, like a father to his daughter.

"There are people," he continued, "whose greatest weapon is the strength of their mind."

Chrome gazed back at the sunrise, the sun steadily rising now. She could hear words somewhere, something about the strength of illusions and the mind of the caster. Something in her was stirring, telling her of what she is.

"It seems to me," he said as he patted her shoulder gently, "that you are one of them."

"Eh?" she glanced at him, startled, and he answered her with a fond smile.

~0~0~0~

Hibari saw them emerge from the gardens as he finished his morning tea. They were still deep in conversation. The girl had supposedly confessed her true nature last night but the very confession led him to be guarded of her even more. Of course, anyone related to Mist should never be taken at face value and Hibari hated her kind.

"It was unfortunate that your short stay in Moon Mountain was like that. I apologize." It was Fon speaking. Hibari sat by the large window of the living room, and though nowhere near them, was near enough to hear their conversation.

"Eh?" Chrome seemed startled of Fon's apology. "Please Fon-dono! Y – you don't have to – I'm very – Thank you very much for all the help!"

Hibari saw her bow repeatedly to the Arcobaleno. The familiar stuttering made him frown, however. It accounted for a fraction of his irritation of her.

"At least then let me help you find your rings." It was Fon.

Hibari heard a soft gasp in response.

He wondered about that last night. If indeed she was the Mist Guardian of the Vongola of her world, where is her ring? She did say she lost it but no one is going to believe a Guardian would _lose_ a ring. Apparently, she was saying the truth. He glanced subtly towards the two who were walking towards the entrance of the house.

"How are the temple and the students? I believe I-pin-san is well. I hope."

Hibari saw Fon nod, smiling gently at Chrome. "The temple has endured more than that. And the people within are as strong."

The expression in her face at the statement had Hibari watch her intently. The female was smiling, the expression brightening up her soft features. Thus far, Hibari had only seen her scared. He saw Fon glance towards his direction and promptly Hibari faked a stance of meditation. He didn't quite catch what the female said after that. As Fon spoke, a small chirping bird landed on Hibari's shoulder. Hibari opened his eyes to glare at the bird that shut it up promptly. Fon and Chrome were out of sight when Hibari glanced around for them. He shot Hibird another nasty look.

~0~0~0~

"_It is what swords are for." _

That coming from Yamamoto made it unexpectedly simple. After all Yamamoto is _the _swordsman.

He made a point to go against every possible dictate of his birth and that meant never lifting a sword. For the Gokudera is a noble house, a great noble house, and being the first son he was supposed to be a skilled swordsman. Instead Gokudera Hayato became an assassin, a lowly occupation left to people whose lives are of no value. He never meant to save his family's grace but somehow he did when he became the right-hand man of the 10th successor of the Vongola.

The Vongola - thus bringing him back to his former mulling.

A sword meant for bloodshed, is what the Arcobaleno Verde said. Despite Yamamoto's plain remark on that and despite being an assassin himself, which meant he kills, the idea sent cold prickles in his skin. That a sword came to be in the manner they said the sword will come to be was as surprising as it was unthinkable. That such a sword came with a stranger made it impossible.

He took a long drag of his cigarette and pressed the heel of his palm against his forehead.

_Could someone really have known the existence of such a sword? Could someone really have had brought it to Yamato? _

~0~0~0~

It had been a long while since something caught his interest enough that he stayed late musing on it. Even his post in the Imperial Courts of Yamato failed to provide much amusement, at least to his taste. He was, of course, unbelieving at first to the woman's implausible story of being from another universe altogether but overhearing her small chat with Fon this morning gave him several points to ponder on. It was a few hours or so before midnight and air was chilly but he had the window of his room open. The night's characteristic silence was broken only by brief sounds of crickets around the neighboring woods. He was silent in his contemplation as well. The moon was waning in the sky, barely shining in its smallness.

He glanced at where Hibird was perched asleep beside his bed. There was nothing special of Hibird. It is a normal bird. Only that through the years it displayed a peculiar behavior – it never perched to anyone outside the Vongola. Vongola, as in the extended family of the Vongola, all connected to the Vongola in one way or another including the head of the Cavallone Family and the Arcobaleno; thus Hibari's confusion with the bird's behavior towards this woman.

"_I am from another world." She swallowed visibly at her own words, "What – what you probably call a parallel universe. I – I'm not sure but – but it seems like that. I –"_

He sat back in his seat. It was unsettling enough to hear about parallel universes but how she apparently came to Yamato and the sword sheathed in her side made it crucial.

"_I don't – I don't know anything of this place and – and everyone does not seem to know me either."_

_He didn't miss her choice of words. "You know us?" _

_He saw her shut her eyes painfully. He did not know what to make of that. _

"_From where I came from – from – in – in my world there are people like you. There are – there is a Hibari in my - from where I came from." _

_She was stuttering effortlessly but he had sensed that she was being careful with her words. She has all the reason to though, considering how ridiculous her words are. He still held his tonfa in his hand. She looked up at him trying to make out what he wants her to say but his face was blank except for the intensity playing in his eyes and she was silent after that. _

"_Who are you?" His question in the beginning and it remains his question now. "Who are you in your world?" _

_She seemed to consider his question and when she answered he was surprised in the trace of strength beneath the soft voice, "The – I am the – the Mist Guardian of the Vongola." _

"Mist." Even just his tone saying the word showed contempt. It caught his attention with greater significance than the fact that she said Vongola. Now though, his nerves settled, the word 'Vongola' caught its proper weight.

His eyes were now fixed to the small yellow bird beside his bed._ "Did he realize she was from the Vongola? Even if it was in another world as she claims it?"_ he thought as he leaned back against the tall chair, the cool air of midnight still blowing meekly. There were spreads of clouds now that sometimes hid the moon, though it still glowed behind the veil of the clouds.

"Mist Guardian." His voice was no more than a whisper but full of contemplation.

Either she was the Mukuro Rokudo of her world or her world was insanely blessed that there was no Mukuro at all. He was not ignorant of parallel worlds, or at least with the theories of it, but he wasn't sure if it was possible that the Mukuro in that other world is a female. And somehow, she's asleep under his roof tonight.

~0~0~0~

There was still the unimaginable tranquility of the place, despite her tendency to jump at any approaching sound, afraid as she was of Hibari. She was never comfortable with the overly violent Cloud Guardian, even the one in her world, and how the evening a couple of days ago went did not help at all. Her afternoon tea was starting to get cold before her but she had been so fixed with the view outside that she did not really mind. Fon often commented during their talk yesterday how Hibari is amusing in his taste for the fine beauties of the world. Looking around the place now, Chrome couldn't help agreeing. Despite her fear of the owner of the place, the simplistic splendor of the place soothed her.

She had requested communication with Fon to ask about her master but what transpired the night before Fon actually came to the Feather Black Mountain cautioned her, and she found not the courage to ask him. Her Mukuro-sama hadn't had the best reputation with the Vongola, in her world, though never once did she doubt him, not then and not now. When she had spoken of being the Mist Guardian of the Vongola in her world, Hibari's face clouded – the implication of which still failed to dawn to her.

"How does your ring look like?"

So suddenly did someone spoke that Chrome scrambled out of her seat and failed miserably, falling on the floor with a low thud instead.

"Hi – Hibari-san!"

Hibari Kyouya fought not to knock her head on the floor in annoyance. He contented himself to glaring at her, refusing to repeat himself.

"Eh? What - ring?" Chrome looked up at him imploringly as she clumsily stood up.

Hibari dragged out a sigh. If it had been him five or so years ago, Chrome would be bleeding in the floor now for being annoying. A melodious chirping of some birds outside caught his attention before he could think about anything further. His glare briefly shifted to consideration. "Come with me." He said, eyeing the open window before turning on his heel towards somewhere in the house.

"Huh?" Chrome found out it is not hard to understand Hibari. It was harder. He had walked past the corner of the hall from the living room before she realized she was supposed to follow. Promptly she shuffled to follow him before she could lose him to the maze of the place.

The room was spacious though not as large as her room, or most of the rooms in that case. It bore the same elegance as the rest of the house. She was still finding it hard to reconcile the delicate magnificence of the place with Hibari's intensity. The painted hall depicted an autumn evening after the rain, with the blossoms of yellow flowers that she cannot find the name (or perhaps it does not exist in her world). The sound of the door closing behind her made her look for him. She almost jumped away again when she realized he was standing behind her, not having the memory of him moving at all. Before she could retreat to the part of the room farthest from him, he grabbed her wrist and refused to let her go.

Chrome flushed in fear more than embarrassment, "Hibari-san." Her voice was soft, trembling and pleading but Hibari did not let go. His grip tightened and the ring in his finger dug against her wrist. She gasped loudly but it wasn't a gasp of pain that he heard from her.

"It looks like this?" There was amusement in Hibari's voice as he saw her stare at the hand gripping her wrist. He could make out the reflection of his ring in her eye and the affection that clouded her expression.

She never saw the Vongola Ring of Cloud but aside from the shape of cloud inscribed in the gleaming purple surface of the gem, it was the exact shape of her own ring. "Exactly like this." Her voice trembled.

Hibari recognized that it wasn't because of fear. He let go of her wrist, walked a few strides towards the closed window and set his ring on the windowsill. Throwing a quick glance at Chrome, he crossed to the other side of the room and kept silent. Chrome stood bewildered, glancing from Hibari to the ring. Hibari was leaning on the wall as Chrome went to the ring. She picked it up with great care but she was stunned at what she saw.

"Wha – what happened?!"

The Vongola Ring of the Cloud was deformed, the colour of the gem had become transparent and engraving of the symbol of the cloud was lost. Only the blurred inscription of the name Vongola was discernible but only vaguely, and she probably recognized it only because she knew it was supposed to be there.

"Did Fon know you were a Vongola Guardian in your world?"

Chrome shook her head. She would not have told anyone, not Hibari especially. Hibari seemed contemplative for a long moment. She marvelled at the sight for a while for never had she saw Hibari _thinking_.

"They were looking for you when they attacked the temple."

"What?"

"Look at the ring." Exasperated and annoyed, Hibari tried to remain settled. A great deal of effort on his side. "The ring loses its form when taken from its proper owner."

Chrome was silent for a moment, intent at looking at the ring in her hand. "But," she glanced at Hibari, her expression hardened for a brief moment, "my ring did not come from this world. It does not lose its shape when M– " Chrome bit her lip in time. She almost mentioned her Master's name. She had managed to skip the part of Kokuyo and her Master the last time they had this kind of conversation. "– when I do not wear it."

The smirk Chrome had been sensing from him finally bloomed in his lips. "There are three important set of rings, according to legends. The Arcobaleno. The Mare. The Vongola."

"Tri-ni-set."

For once, Hibari regarded her seriously at her remark before nodding. "The Tri-ni-set is said to have created the worlds."

"Worlds?"

"This world and every world where they are present."

Chrome seemed to be contemplative after that so Hibari waited for her. She looked at the ring again, remembering the battle in the Future. In every parallel universe then, Byakuran had managed to get hold of both the Arcobaleno pacifiers and the Vongola rings, except in the world where she came from. _"In every parallel universe."_ Chrome repeated the words in her head, weighing its significance. "The Tri-ni-set is in every parallel universe."

For a moment Hibari did not speak then he said, "Hypothetically."

Chrome did not correct him.

"The Tri-ni-set may be of different forms in different worlds but they are present in every world. It could be that your ring took on the characteristics of the Vongola Rings in this world."

Chrome thought about his words. Her rings weren't in her fingers when she arrived here, so it must have become misshapen as the ring in her hand now.

"Rings in this world are symbols and identities, but more than that, given the right bearer, the rings give enormous power." He could somehow hear her pondering, "Don't think about it so much. There's no way they know what the real form of the ring is."

Chrome found it very difficult to nod.

"But they looked for you, and they will do so again."

Her hands trembled as she held his ring, the point he is trying to make finally exploding like one of the Storm Guardian's bombs.

"Do you want to find your ring?"

Involuntarily, her gaze flew from the floor to him.

The intensity in her eye made Hibari's blood boil. Momentarily forgetting that she is Mist, he liked it so much that the prospect of it made him smile in good spirits.

~0~0~0~

He found the master of the house staring hard at his own reflection in the mirror. The force of it somehow miraculously hasn't shattered the mirror to dust but it was enough to send a chill in his body, even if the man was his master.

"Master."

The man did not budge at first then as he shifted, the strong look in his face dissipated to a false cheerfulness that was more forbidding than anything else. "News?"

The man bowed. His long luxurious locks flowing as he moved. "The kata – "

A small, barely noticeable twitch in his brow, the master of the house turned away again. "No news still." His tone was definitive, final and disappointed. "Leave."

The man remained bowed. "We had – "

"Futile. The katana would look like any other katana in this whole country."

There were several things jumbled in his usually organized brain, the location of the katana if it ever reached this world is just one. Who has it, how they were able to get hold of it, how somebody knew of him getting it, how did anyone other than him knew of the existence of that katana, and - the man closed his eyes briefly. He hadn't found out yet to whom the woman was affiliated with but surely if he could, the answers would flow freely like water in a falls. He waved off his subordinate and marched off to one of the inner chambers of his room. It was the woman who nicked off some information, though the extent of her infiltration he cannot know. He had taken care of her, disposed her as he saw fit but she was tenacious and inflexible, able to hold off any information he could possible squeeze from her.

But what is done is past, besides there are several other ways to go. That ring from the Arcobaleno's student is just one. After all it didn't seem to be from this world either.

~0~0~0~

Kusakabe had departed to his orders some weeks ago and though not the most patient, Hibari understood enough that he had to wait before striking. It had been a month since Chrome first came to the Moon Mountain where, to Hibari's belief, everything related to her in this world began. The waiting, though, is keeping him on the edge of his nerves. There will be quite a bit for this strike but the most he could allow for company is Chrome, as she is the bait, and for that reason alone too. The probability that she would be Mukuro Rokudo in that other world is still playing in his mind but Mukuro looking so vulnerable and weak is failing his grasp. Mukuro never faked. He was merely unreadable but never faked. Hibari considered his thoughts again as he walked the length of his garden to the shrine.

He had not seen her most of the day and he did not bother himself to acquainting with her activities. The shrine was still as always, enveloped by some silence different from the silence of his entire place altogether. Fon calls it something like divine silence. Hibari never cared what it was called but basked in the comfort it gives him.

He had not been aware of how long he was in the shrine though he was vaguely aware of the afternoon rain sometime while he was inside one of the inner rooms of the shrine. It was well past dusk when he emerged from the shrine. The moon was full tonight and had risen early in the evening. But the draft from the rain and the approaching autumn had rendered the air cold. A shroud of fog appeared grim under the moonlight just as it looked breathtaking in its beauty. Hibari stood on the stairs of the shrine for several long minutes, admiring the dramatic charm of the night. To him it was a night that belongs to paintings in its beauty.

Perhaps in his love for these, his eyes started playing tricks on him. He thought he saw a young woman emerge from the mist, behind the great cedars and pines that lined the pathway to the garden. She wore a beautiful kimono of faint gold and subtle red, mixing in a hue of faint peach color. The color highlighted the delicate paleness of her skin that glowed further with the soft light of the moon. Her hair, the shade reminiscent of the sky at midnight, neither black nor blue, shimmered under the spell of the moon. Her presence in the backdrop misty night was mystical and picturesque to Hibari, one that had him holding his breath in its beauty. As she drew nearer, despite the distance and the mist, he was drawn to her eye – a striking violet shade that seemed as hazy as the heavy mist itself. She moved with soothing grace, a gentleness that matched her beautiful face.

She was perhaps at the foot of the shrine when someone spoke, "Hibari-san?"

The voice startled him, though it was not visible in his stance. It took him several moments to realize that the woman was not his imagination.

It was _Chrome_.

His brows twitched in annoyance with himself. She wasn't walking towards him now, but her single visible eye was fixed on him.

"_If indeed she__ is the Mist Guardian of the Vongola of her world…,"_ Hibari mused as he willed down the faint blush coloring his cheeks in embarrassment, _"the mist suits her very much…"_

~0~0~0~

The days passed without developments all together. Today, however, Hibari told her they will descend the Feather Black Mountain for the night. If she would have had the guts, she would have asked why. But she hadn't grown nerves despite the weeks she had stayed under his roof. The sun was just still high in the sky, perhaps around mid-afternoon, but Chrome didn't have time ascertain it.

"Perhaps a mask then?" she heard the man called Kusakabe say to Hibari as they stood by a pair of sturdy and handsome mustangs.

Despite her rather uneventful childhood, her upbringing wasn't at all bare. After all, her parents were filthy rich. She learned how to ride a horse, among several other extracurricular luxuries, before she was even 10. But it had been some long while since she last did.

"No one will be able to go back alive to tell them what we look like." Hibari's easy and arrogant words shifted Chrome's attention back to him and his companion.

As if sensing her attention to them, Kusakabe turned to her direction and made a polite bow. She reciprocated before finally walking to where they were.

All Vongola Guardians knew how to ride a horse and Hibari simply assumed that Chrome would know as well, as she claimed to be a Guardian herself. He had conveniently forgotten that in Yamato horses are the main way of transport, and everyone, Vongola Guardian or not, know how to ride a horse; _and_ that Chrome isn't from Yamato at all. He motioned Chrome to mount her horse as he did so himself. Kusakabe was kind enough to lend a hand to the lady which made things easier for Chrome. Kusakabe gave them a low bow before Hibari tapped the side of his feet against the side of his horse and the hard sound of hooves against bare earth began. Chrome murmured a silent prayer to all the divinities she could invoke as she goaded her horse to move forward as well.

~0~0~0~

It took Chrome a couple of kilometers or so to feel familiar with riding again but she was soon riding with enough confidence to let her beast run to a full throttle dash. Not that she would even think of herself as a good rider, not when she was throttling behind someone like Hibari. He was, to her surprise, a really fantastic rider. He could easily spur his horse to burst into a fitfully dash then a gentle walk in a beat, all the while holding himself in a manner of silent elegance that reminded her of someone. Never once did he glance back at her but despite the discrepancy in their skills, she never went too far from him to actually lose him.

The terrain was mostly the same, thick forest on each side with their grand canopy stretching towards each other, shading most of the dirt road they were traversing. Sometimes there were bridges, wooden ones but did not look one bit fragile, above a clear river, sometimes a murky one. Sometimes there were sounds of water from somewhere near, a spring or falls perhaps. Sometimes the road forks to smaller roads. Sometimes there were riders going the opposite way, a few going towards the same direction as them. But Chrome was mostly fixated to her fellow rider.

There was finesse and confidence in his movements, one that she could relate to fairytale princes riding fields in their handsome horses.

"_A rather bizarre thought."_ she mused and concentrated on her riding. At least tried to.

She could easily imagine him in armor, marching to the battlefield a sword in hand.

"Tonfa." she heard herself mutter in correction. Again, another image from nowhere. She tugged on the reins of her animal and focused on that. _"Though knights are not always as handsome as he is,"_ she thought. The thought made her face burn in mortification and she spent the rest of the trip trying to picture a rabbit hopping before her in place of Hibari.

There are perks of being good with imageries.

~0~0~0~

They were heading uphill, which confused Chrome as she thought they are going down Feather Black Mountain, when the moon was a quarter up in the sky. Its silvery light only made the sight of a princely gallant knight riding his mustang more beautiful. That thought made her want to throw herself off her own mustang. It was quite startling how someone as dangerous as Hibari could look that way. She had to remove a hand from the animal's reign to slap herself in the face.

She's good with her imagination. Mukuro-sama said so. It's only now that's she's starting to believe it. In a bad way.

The moon was further up in the sky when they skidded to a sudden stop and Hibari managed it without a sound from his animal. The only sounds then were the ripples of flowing water from a river nearby and the neighing from Chrome's mustang. The moon was still full at this time of the month but it was a cloudy night. Masses of clouds occasionally conceal the silver mass of light, rendering the night dark.

He led her to look around for a moment before going back to the pair of mustang. He caressed both a few times then whispered, "I'll find you when I need you. Go," And the pair galloped to the thick forest together.

The gesture made her brows quirk up. She was, again, finding it hard to reconcile the image to his character.

Hibari, on the other hand, didn't seem to be paying attention to his companion at all as he started towards a narrow path away from the river. Chrome shuffled to follow him, careful of the sounds of her movements.

~0~0~0~

Her ears weren't at all the most trained but having spent most of her recent (before the escapade in the future) days in a place as deserted as the Kokuyo Land, she had grown sensitive to the soft padding of feet outside. She could make out the sound even with the soft rippling of water from the nearby river. She tensed at the sound of it and if she cared looking, she would have caught the smirk in Hibari's face at her movements.

He had moved to the door, having had whipped his tonfas from his sleeves, "It seems we came just in time for reception." His first words since they entered the hut.

"Reception?" She hadn't moved from where she was seated for hours, or so it seemed, that she felt pins and needles in her feet when she did. "For what?" she shifted with much care when she stood up.

The shuffling of feet outside seemed to pause. They were perhaps some meters away from the hut. How a cottage came to be or how they came by a cottage was still puzzling Chrome.

"They will have the ring. The ring will lead them to you."

The movements outside resumed though they seemed more careful now.

"Eh?" She could not remember him saying anything about that, well, she could not remember him saying anything about this entire thing. "We're here for my ring?"

"Keep an eye for it. You'll have to retrieve it on your own."

"Wha -?"

The sudden deliberate silence outside cut off her question, she had enough sense in her to grip the sheath of the katana dangling in her side.

"It took me awhile to know where they were looking for you. I picked up from there and moved them around so that eventually their search would lead them here. If they'd all come in then it will be easier for _me_." He seemed to have found something humorous in the situation and a smirk was splayed in his face like a plaster, "I'll bite them to death like cornered rats. Only the weak flank together in packs."

Chrome was transfixed at watching him. The unerring similarity between him and the vague memory she had of Hibari of her world had her stomach lurch in some emotion she could not describe. _They had travelled so they could be where Hibari wanted them to find her._ It reminded her vaguely of a very similar strategy from the Hibari of the future in her world, one that lured the Milliefore forces to the Vongola hide out. She knew of that, after all she was the only one present when Hibari of the future found the tracking device planted in her bag.

~0~0~0~

For a moment she couldn't land a strike at anyone, not that she was trying, because Hibari sends them flying around before they could reach her. The cottage was anything but destroyed now, and it was only barely a minute since the fighting started. Perhaps in this world too, Hibari is the strongest of the 10th Generation Guardians. If she didn't know any better, she'd think he was covering her up but that line of logic is severely flawed when applied to Hibari. He was in front of her for the same reason he brought her with him now – she'd bring the enemy in.

She would have stayed that way. After all she's not really inclined in fighting with a sword in her hand. She would have contented herself of that if something did not catch her attention.

A hooting sound. Distinct though small. Above the sound of fighting. Just as a small clump of clouds were approaching the moon.

Her eyes darted around, following the small but firm hooting sound that reminded her of the Vongola of her world, flooding her with intense nostalgic feeling. No one seemed to hear it or paying attention to it. Hibari had sent another one howling after a smack of his tonfa on the man's guts. Then she saw it. A glint of silver, a dangle of rings on a chain around the neck of one of the cloaked people.

_Her rings._

The sight sent a strong shiver of emotion through Chrome as she rushed away from Hibari and all he heard was the smooth sound of a sword being drawn. The moonlight streamed directly to (the ruins of) the hut, making her blade glint with her every movement. More than anything, it was the deadly intent in her that had him smirking in satisfaction. A promise of a worthy opponent. For a moment he considered, again, that perhaps she is the Mukuro of her world, though the briefest of pause made him throw the idea away. Mukuro always had a streak of malice in his intentions. Her's didn't have that, only plain murder and madness.

The mass of clouds passed directly by the moon, blocking its light, and it was dark.

By the time the veil of clouds lifted, everything hummed to a ghostly silence. And the scene before his eyes stunned a piece of his mind that froze him in his spot.

As violent as he was, he never managed to create a scene of massacre as bloody as the one he stood in the midst of at present. His eyes lingered on the woman that for the most of his waking hours he considered weak, stupid, naïve and useless. She stood before him - her sword held in front of her, dripping in blood; her other hand was trembling at her hold of a chain – her eye too distant from the one that had him breathless in few instances.

Despite his inclination towards violence, the picture before him made his blood run cold, part of that was gripping fear.

And just then, Chrome collapsed.

~0~0~0~

A/N:

A huge, huge, really huge thanks to **Zierm **who reviewed this piece with her vaguest memories of Reborn.

Sorry for the long delay. I hope it was worth the wait. Comments will be lovely!


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